MILWAUKEE • Through three innings Saturday, the Cardinals’ Carlos Martinez had seven strikeouts but he ran his pitch count past 70 in the process. He got two of those punchouts in the third and almost escaped damage after Jonathan Villar had singled and stolen his National League-leading 31st and 32nd bases.
But, with two outs, Kirk Nieuwenhuis singled past first to score Villar and then stole the Brewers’ third base of the inning. Will Middlebrooks walked and Ramon Flores attempted to put the Brewers ahead with a smash headed to center. But second baseman Greg Garcia made a diving stop and fired to first where the 5-foot-10 (maybe) Jedd Gyorko managed to hold the bag on a potentially wide throw for the final out.